Friday, February 20, 2009

Bare and Defying Inequality

Look, I'm not one to enjoy the heat of a New York summer...but it's time for this cold weather to come to an end. Mainly because we're now getting to the stage where it's 50 degrees one day and then back down to 20 degrees the next. It's annoying.

So, I got sick. Really sick.

Because I'm stubborn and like to believe that it's all the fault of one man I passed on the street...I'm going to believe that it really was his fault. I hate you random-coughing-man.

Luckily, I can feel it breaking, but it's a warzone in my head and chest right now. I hope enough of it clears for the Bare reading on Tuesday.

Speaking of the Bare reading. I have just been informed that James Snyder will now be playing Jason!

While I hear wonderful things about Scott Porter and was very excited to meet him...I'm so thrilled to be working with James again. He's extremely talented and a great guy.

It will be a fun concert to be a part of and I hope that it influences the producers who are invited. This is a special piece and it shouldn't be ignored.

I'm looking forward to a busy upcoming week. I have some potentially interesting news on the horizon. But don't quote me on that because things change day to day.

Err...I did just put that in writing. So, what the hell? Quote away.

One positive thing about the show ending January 18th is that it happened right at the start of pilot season. I have been staying busy despite the fact that I'm not doing the show 8 times a week. I will most likely be involved with something in the late summer/fall so it's just been about keeping myself occupied for the time being.

And in shape.

It's no secret I'm a skinny guy. I was asked to gain weight for Spring Awakening during my time there, especially while I was understudying Groff. No one would believe it, but prior to being cast, I weighed about 20 pounds lighter. Since the show has ended, I've remained in the gym, but I haven't been running around for two hours 8 times a week any more.

Our cast experienced a funny moment this past wednesday when we were rehearsing for "Defying Inequality." We are performing a new take on "Totally Fucked." (Don't worry...it's not "Totally Stuck.") We all found our old tracks and started jumping around again all excited...and then nearly collapsed from exhaustion. When you don't do it 8 times a week it really is a bitch. To think that we did that twice on closing night makes me realized just how in tune our bodies were with the show. Remember...Blake and I had a quiet seduction scene immediately following that...thank god everybody clapped for so long or we wouldn't have been able to speak.

Anyway...you should come see the benefit at the Gershwin on Monday night. There are a ton of shows/stars involved and it's really going to be an incredible night. We saw some of the other groups rehearse and there are going to be some stunning performances. Plus, a great deal of original and replacement cast members from Spring Awakening are involved in our little number.

V-Day Update.

So I woke up this morning to a slight tickle in my throat that is just really pissing me off.

I was walking on the street yesterday and a man in front of me had the most awful cough. You know...the kind that sounds like a fog horn while simultaneously releasing the most ungodly amount of phlegm.

Unfortunately, I am doing something in New York while this project mounts later this year. However, I'm thrilled to have the chance to sing that music again in such good company.

I have to admit, Bare seems like a little dream sometimes. It all happened so quickly. I was given a couple weeks to learn all the (over 20 songs) material, and then 4 days to record. We threw it together in the studio with a lot of love and an incredible production team. I was reading most of the scripted lines off the page for the first time, alone in the booth, as they weren't sure if they were going to make the recording anyway.......they did. Apart from the song "Bare", and what the editing on the DVD suggests, we did not record with each other. It was a very intimate experience focused solely on the singing. I'm so thrilled the album came together as well as it did. Sometimes, it's downright epic (Epiphany) and I am floored by the skills of our production team. Deborah and Casey...you are gods. I haven't listened to it since it was first released (rest assured, I don't skip around my apartment listening to 'Role of a Lifetime') and I'm just now getting back into the material and the album because of next tuesday. I had almost forgotten what a masterpiece the show is. I am sure the San Francisco production is going to be phenomenal. Bare deserves a solid commercial production.

I've just decided I'm gonna give Eric Hutchinson a little shout out. It's great pop music. It's something I would have been addicted to in high school...which just makes me smile.

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

New York, New York

So many people have asked me lately why I haven't made a decision to move to LA during pilot season. For a young, professional actor, it's very typical to pack up for a few months and head out to cattle call land.

I plan to do no such thing.

While I would have no objection to moving there for a specific project or job and think that the industry in LA is magnificent...It's just not my town.

New York, however, is.

I have been auditioning here like a mad man as well. I love the access to both Film and Theatre in New York. There is a really exciting buzz in the city lately as more and more television begins to shoot here. It's no longer a city strictly for theatre, and that becomes more apparent every season. I have just recently shot another brief appearance on Gossip Girl, and I love just hopping on the subway to get to the studio. While I miss driving every now and then, a 15 minute ride to a major television studio just can't be beat.

There is a rich community in Manhattan that is hard to find in other cities. There is nothing better than walking a few blocks to your favorite bar, or traveling 10 minutes to meet your friends downtown. I love the culture here and I always tell people that New Yorkers aren't rude, they just like to get things done. If I'm not staying busy I lose my mind. While I may be currently out of a steady job, living in the city has kept me more than sane.

I have a couple options coming up for the summer and fall and I'm getting excited. Obviously it's the thick of Pilot season and anything could come up over the next couple of months, but I'm happy to know that there are a couple other things in the work.

It probably won't be for a while, but once I can announce anything on here, I will.

I couldn't possibly be more excited for spring...because IT'S FREEZING!!!